My Take On The Draft

[Falconsfan567]

A ton of people seem to be scolding the Falcons for trading up to get Julio Jones and I just don't understand it. All everyone seems to point to is us giving up 48 points against the Packers in the playoffs. No mention whatsover about how we held the same Packers team to only 17 points and beat them during the regular season. No mention that the defense didn't show up in the 2nd half of that game and it allowed the Packers to rack up all those points. No mention that the offense after the first drive of the game went 3-and-out nearly every possession and kept the defense on the field far too long and allowed the Packers offense the chance to rack up all those points.

Many of those same folks were also the same folks saying that the Falcons have long needed a compliment to Roddy White and the Falcons made that happen by trading for Julio Jones. Say what you will about the players the Falcons gave up and it's really amazing to me how people on this message board and in the media have allowed themselves to be blinded by their ties to Georgia and their love of A.J. Green cloud their judgement and claim that Julio Jones is no where near the player that Green is. But that's not true at all. While Green is better I admit it is only slighty over Jones. Not this HHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEE difference that people seem to think. Having seen more Alabama games than I wish to say there were so many times over the past 2 years that McElroy just threw the ball up for grabs (like Daunte Culpepper used to do with Randy Moss) and Jones would come down with it. Matt Ryan is a setter QB and having Jones around to help take pressure off of Roddy and Gonzalez will only make them both better along with making Matt even better.

And the Falcons made wise picks with their remaining picks as well. I lot of the Falcons offensive struggles and Matt Ryan's offensive struggles the past 2 years has had to do with a player that people almost forget existed because he has played in so few games the last 2 years. That player is Jerious Norwood. The offense was electric in 2008 and Norwood played a huge role in that. In taking little dump off passes from Matt and turning 4 or 5 yard plays into 10 or 15 or even more yard plays. Matt Ryan posted an average yards per attempt number of 7.9 which if I'm not mistaken lead the NFL that year. The last 2 years Ryan's yards per attempt number has been at only 6.0 which ranked 25th in the NFL last year and really plays a huge part in Ryan's average QB Rating. The Falcons addressed that need by selecting Jacquizz Rodgers. That dude will immediated take on the role that Norwood held in 2008 and along with Jones, Roddy, Gonzalez, Turner and hopefully a major step forward from Harry Douglas will create one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. That's so many weapons that even mr. ultraconservative Mike Mularkey can't mess that up.

Another draft pick that I'm really trilled about is the pick of DE Cliff Matthews from South Carolina. As a huge Gamecocks fan it's exciting to have him on the team but even more so because of his never stop motor and play through the whistle mentality. It's shocking to me that he fell all the way to the 7th round. But he's better than a 7th round pick and even if he doesn't do much on defense as a rookie he's a huge plus on special teams.

I'm excited about the Falcons prospects for the 2011 season. I just hope that there is a 2011 season to be played.

[blkbigdog35]

Can't agree with you enough and I'm really anxious to see this offrense on the field now. Defensively I think we are going after a top DE in FA.

[vafalconfan]

OK, Two things; (1) If you do go and re-watch the first packers game without all the emotion(as I recently did) you will find it hard not to cringe watching our DBs running around trying to cover Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Part of that is Rogers had time to throw, but they were just the faster team. It's amazing we won that game and it's easy to see why the packers were so confident when they returned for the playoffs. Now maybe TD(hopefully) will go hard and heavy in free agency to fix the defense. As it stands today we have the same defense we ended the season with and that's not good.

(2) I like Julio Jones and I think he's a nice player. In our run first offense how many touches will he get per game? How many balls thrown his way? 5-6?..in that first packers game Roddy White did not have a completion until the 3rd quarter. In the playoff game Tony Gonzalez did not have a ball thrown his way until mid-way third quarter. So my problem with all of this is the scheme we run and I think wide receivers are way over valued. Jennings and Nelson were not first round picks.

I will end this by saying that I hope all of you are completely right and I am completely wrong!

[ConnFalcon]

OK, Two things; (1) If you do go and re-watch the first packers game without all the emotion(as I recently did) you will find it hard not to cringe watching our DBs running around trying to cover Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Part of that is Rogers had time to throw, but they were just the faster team.

Nice post, I agree.

However I think its more us not getting any pressure than GB being faster. They were the faster team no doubt, but we had NO pash rush at all. I dont care if you are Revis or Aso, if the QB has all day to throw, the receiver is going to get open.

[vafalconfan]

Nice post, I agree.

However I think its more us not getting any pressure than GB being faster. They were the faster team no doubt, but we had NO pash rush at all. I dont care if you are Revis or Aso, if the QB has all day to throw, the receiver is going to get open.

Exactly and everyone assumes we will sign Ray Edwards to fix the pass rush and he would fit nicely, but what if he ends up being a RFA? Or if Dan Snyder offers him a billion dollars and 10% of the team?.. Seriously, if we do not get Edwards then what?..

[Falconsfan567]

Well we showed against the Saints in the 2nd game against them that when we blitz constantly we can get pressure and disrupt the opposing offense. For whatever reason that was the only game that we had that game plan and even though we lost the game we totally dominated that game defensively and it was our offense's fault that we lost that game. Why we decided to revert back to our passive approach against the Packers I'll never know.

Yes you shouldn't have to blitz and bring everything to get pressure on the QB. Not getting pressure with a 4-man rush is pitiful. But I think TD's aggressiveness in drafting Julio and Rogers means he's going to order Smitty and Mularkey to open up the offense and try to take pressure off the defense by allowing our offense to point up a ton of points. As we showed against the Ravens our defense is good enough to win games when playing with the lead.

[g-dawg]

Nice post, I agree.

However I think its more us not getting any pressure than GB being faster. They were the faster team no doubt, but we had NO pash rush at all. I dont care if you are Revis or Aso, if the QB has all day to throw, the receiver is going to get open.

yeah, I'm cool w/ Julio(down by the schoolyard) but Falcons defense is screwed if we don't sign Edwards/Johnson/Kiwi. Falcons need major upgrade in passrush.